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OPINION

Louisiana may need more politicians

In a state where politics is theater, we may be running short on thespians.

Candidates failed to sign up for 24 different races during qualifying in August, creating empty elections across the state. More than 100 candidates also withdrew or were disqualified from other contests this cycle, which is an unprecedented and troubling figure. Plus, a majority of the judgeships on the November ballot were won outright without an election due to a lack of challengers.

The two dozen races that remain blank may be the most surprising part of this trend. While it might sound like a dream come true to those who want less government and fewer professional public servants, it puts several local communities in a pinch. No one wanted to be accountable for tax dollars or oversee important functions of government in these election districts. That's regrettable.

What's more, it runs counter to the bigger picture election officials saw in late August following qualifying. They reported then that there were more politicians signing up for races this year than in any other time in recent memory. It just so happened that these 24 races in question had no takers whatsoever.

For example, the Village of Mound in Madison Parish has some of the quietest races on the November ballot. That's because candidates failed to qualify in the village's elections for mayor, aldermen and chief of police. (It's important to note that the Village of Mound, according to the U.S. Census, had a booming population last year of approximately 18 residents. So it may just be that everyone in the village has either already held one of the jobs or is related to someone who did.)

In addition to the Village of Mound, no one wanted to sign up for the mayor's race in the Village of Athens, population 241, in Claiborne Parish. Candidates also avoided the chiefs of police elections in Junction City, a village of 572 residents in Claiborne and Union parishes, and in the Village of Lillie, which adds 116 to the total population of Union Parish.

Council seats on the municipal level have been left vacant in Ashland, Athens, Campti, Doyline, Lillie, Mooringsport, Mound, Natchez, Provencal and Spearsville. There are likewise empty ballots this year in several races for justice of the peace and constable around the state. That certainly makes for easy choosing for voters, but it may not stay that way.

In the near future, people may actually need to be recruited to run for these posts. "In these instances the governing authority must declare a vacancy and then call for a new election," said Meg Casper, communications director for the Secretary of State's Office.

Louisiana also needs candidates who are willing to follow qualifying rules and stick it out once they do sign up. More than 100 candidates either withdrew from their races this cycle or were disqualified, a level that is unheard of here. Thing is, many of their names remain on the ballots, which have already been moved to the printing process.

As a result, special notices had to be included inside the more than 6,000 mail ballots sent to voters recently to let them know which candidates are no longer running, despite being listed. The same kind of notices, although more visible, will have to be placed at polling precincts. This creates a scenario where votes may literally be wasted, as any votes cast for someone no longer running will simply be thrown out.

Elsewhere in the fall cycle, most of the judgeships in the state, in excess of 75 percent, were handed over to sitting judges and candidates because they weren't challenged. There was one Supreme Court race scheduled for the November ballot, and it ended before it started. All but one of the nine appellate court judgeships up for election have already been decided as well. And 161 out of 217 district judgeships were filled in the same manner.

It's often said that ours is a form of government that was created by geniuses so that even simpletons could keep it afloat. Yet there's no such thing as autopilot in government and competition is needed to assure we get the best, brightest and most accountable. Without competition, our democratic contests will turn into overnight conquests, which unfortunately favor the few over the many.

While ballot decisions can sometimes be distasteful and even puzzling, it's still preferable to having no choice at all.

— Jeremy Alford is the publisher-editor of LaPolitics.com/LaPolitics Weekly. Email him at JJA@LaPolitics.com.